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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: calf · wake · hide · ground · wind · ball · coach · wound

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. ground — a position
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. ball — a dance
  7. wake — a trail
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. ground — the earth
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. ball — a great time
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. wind — moving air
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. ground — crushed
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — a young animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com